The invention relates to a conveying apparatus and in particular to a receiving conveyor for receiving conveyable-article carriers from a suspended conveyor in which the conveyable-article carriers are guided on a running-roller guide profile for movement along a first conveying section and are supported in a suspended manner on own running rollers.
The object of the invention is to provide a conveying apparatus with a receiving conveyor of the abovementioned type which, while being of straightforward construction, functions reliably, allows a high and, in particular, continuous conveying capacity, may be of three-dimensionally movable design and, for the purpose of realizing the function of receiving conveyable-article carriers from a conventional suspended conveyor, does not require the suspended conveyor to be subjected any adaptation measures or alteration.
In order to achieve this object, the invention proposes that the receiving conveyor have a series of receiving elements which are arranged one after the other on a common drawing means, are moved along a second conveying section by the drawing means and are intended for the conveyable-article carriers, it being the case that, at a receiving location, the first conveying section and the second conveying section run closely adjacent in a laterally offset manner, and the receiving elements are guided such that, at the receiving location, they execute a lifting movement relative to the running-roller guide profile of the suspended conveying apparatus in order for conveyable-article carriers, which are fed to the receiving location along the first conveying section from the suspended conveying apparatus in each case, to be engaged at engagement means, which project from said conveyable-article carriers, for the purpose of being carried along the second conveying section, and for said conveyable-article carriers to be lifted off from the guide profile of the suspended conveying apparatus.
There are various posible ways of guiding the receiving elements, as they pass the receiving location, such that their movement has a lifting component. One possibility is that the drawing means pivots the receiving elements upwards about the longitudinal axis of the drawing means in order thus for the conveyable-article carriers to be lifted out of the running-roller guide profile of the suspended conveying apparatus, with the conveyable-article carriers being engaged at the same time.
According to a preferred embodiment, however, at the receiving location, the second conveying section, i.e. the conveying section of the receiving conveyor, has an upward slope with an acute slope angle relative to the usually horizontally running, first conveying section, with the result that the receiving elements, during the movement along the upward slope, can grip beneath the engagement means of the conveyable-article carriers, which are fed one after the other to the receiving location on the first conveying section. For this purpose, it is proposed that the receiving elements each have a hook portion by means of which they automatically grip behind and beneath the engagement means of a conveyable-article carrier respectively located at the receiving location as said receiving elements move along the upward slope of the second conveying section, in order to lift the conveyable-article carrier off from the running roller guide profile of the suspended conveying apparatus.
The receiving elements may be guided along the second conveying section such that, immediately after passing the receiving location, they increase not only the vertical distance from the first conveying section but also their lateral distance.
According to a particularly preferred embodiment, the receiving conveyor may receive and transport conveyable-article carriers of conventional construction. These are conveyable-article carriers which have a central carrier portion from which in each case one running roller of a running-roller pair projects on two mutually opposite sides, it being the case that a relevant conveyable-article carrier in the suspended conveying apparatus is suspended laterally on the running-roller guide profile in each case by one of the two running rollers and is guided on said running roller. A special feature within the context of the present invention, then, is that the other running roller serves as engagement means for the engagement by a relevant receiving element of the receiving conveyor. The receiving conveyor according to the invention thus does not require any adaptation or alteration measures, either in the case of a conventional suspended conveying apparatus for such conveyable-article carriers or in the case of conveyable-article carriers, in order to realize the function of receiving the conveyable-article carriers.
The abovementioned conveyable-article carriers may be, for example, so-called hanger carriers which have a hook at their bottom end. A clothes hanger with an item of clothing located thereon may be suspended on the hook. The conveying apparatus under consideration here is thus suitable, in particular, for use in the clothing industry, laundries, etc.
A further advantage can be seen in the fact that the receiving conveyor according to the invention can be used for transporting conveyable articles between different storeys or between different levels within one storey. For this purpose, the receiving elements may be configured such that they retain the conveyable-article carriers securely both during upward travel along any desired upward slopes and during downward travel along any desired downward inclines.
The drawing means is preferably a drive belt which is designed as an endless loop, is driven in circulation around two deflecting devices, is guided along the second conveying section and, on the loop periphery, has the receiving elements for the conveyable-article carriers in an endless series.
Although the drive belt may be a continuous steel belt, plastic belt or rubber belt, it is designed, according to a preferred embodiment, as a chain, in particular articulated chain, which is preferably guided in a chain-guide groove.
The chain can be driven for continuous movement, it being the case that the movement sequence of the receiving elements at the receiving location and the geometry and spacing of the receiving elements are coordinated with the conveying speed of the suspended conveyor such that each of the conveyable-article carriers fed to the receiving location on the suspended conveyor is engaged individually by a respective receiving element of the receiving conveyor for the purpose of being carried along the second conveying section. It is not necessary, for this purpose, for the conveyable-article carriers to be fed to the receiving location along the first conveying section cyclically or in a manner in which they are separated from one another. The conveyable-article carriers may be fed to the receiving location individually at regular or irregular intervals from one another or in groups of blocks. In each case, each conveyable-article carrier is received in a respective receiving element by the continuously driven receiving conveyor and is thus introduced into the second conveying section. A trial installation achieved a conveying speed of 0.5 m/s. With continuous feeding of the conveyable-article carriers to the receiving location, this corresponded to a conveying capacity of approximately 45,000 conveyable-article carriers per hour.
An interesting aspect is that the receiving conveyor may perform a diverter function. For this purpose, a development of the invention provides that the distance between the first conveying section and the second conveying section at the receiving location can be changed in a controlled manner, with the result that the conveyable-article carriers located on the first conveying section can pass the transition location, and remain on the first conveying section, without being influenced by the receiving elements, which have been moved out of reach, if the distance between the conveying sections at the transition location is increased by a certain value.
The receiving conveyor preferably has a receiving head which has one of the deflecting devices for the drawing means and which, in an active position, guides the receiving elements up to the first conveying section for the purpose of engaging conveyable-article carriers. According to a development of the invention, the receiving head can be moved, in particular pivoted, between the active position and a passive position relative to the suspended conveyor, it being the case that, in the passive position, it guides the receiving elements out of reach of the conveyable-article carriers moving on the first conveying section.
It is also proposed that, at a transfer location, the second conveying section, that is to say the conveying section of the receiving conveyor, runs closely adjacent in a laterally offset manner to a third conveying section, which, corresponding to the first conveying section, has a running-roller guide profile for the conveyable-article carriers, and that the receiving elements are guided such that, at the transfer location, they execute a lowering movement relative to the running-roller guide profile of the third conveying section in order for the conveyable-article carriers which are received from the first conveying section to be introduced into the running-roller guide profile of the third conveying section from above by way of their free running rollers, which project outward from the receiving elements in each case. The conveyable-article carriers are transferred automatically and in a manner which complements the manner in which they are received from the first conveying section. At the receiving location, the second conveying section preferably has a downward incline with an angle of inclination relative to the third conveying section, it being the case that the conveyable-article carriers, which are fed to the transfer location at the angle of inclination, are engaged at their free running rollers, which project outward from the receiving elements, by the running-roller guide profile of this third conveying section such that they are forcibly freed from the receiving elements and transferred to the third conveying section.
The receiving elements are preferably guided such that they are deflected laterally immediately after passing the transfer location, their distance from the third conveying section being increased in the process.
For the purpose of realizing a diverter function, it may be provided that the distance between the second conveying section and the third conveying section at the transfer location can be changed in a controlled manner, with the result that the conveyable-article carriers pass the transfer location, and remain on the second conveying section, without being affected by the running-roller guide profile of the third conveying section if the distance between the second conveying section and the third conveying section at the transfer location is increased to a certain value.
For the purpose of discharging the conveyable-article carriers to the third conveying section, the receiving conveyor may have a transfer head which guides the receiving elements up to the third conveying section and has a deflecting device for the drawing means.
For the purpose of realizing the diverter function, the transfer head can be moved, in particular pivoted, between its active position, in which it is advanced up to the third conveying section, and a passive position relative to the third conveying section, it being the case that, in the passive position, it guides the receiving elements out of reach of the third conveying section, with the result that the conveyable-article carriers can pass the transfer location, and remain on the second conveying section.
A particular advantage can be seen in that the second conveying section, that is to say the conveying section of the receiving conveyor, may run three-dimensionally with upward slopes, downward inclines and lateral curves, the conveyable-article carriers with or without conveyable articles being retained reliably on the receiving elements.
For this purpose, the receiving elements are preferably each provided with a pocket-like depression for receiving the relevant running roller of a conveyable-article carrier, with the pocket-like depression having a contour adapted to the shape of the running roller. The receiving elements preferably each have a receiving channel which introduces the running roller into the pocket-like depression as the relevant conveyable-article carrier is received, and also have, laterally in relation to the pocket-like depression, an upwardly projecting hook portion which is open in the forward direction and grips over a running roller of a picked-up conveyable-article carrier, said running roller being received in the pocket-like depression.
Such a geometry of the receiving elements allows the conveyable-article carriers to be received reliably and securely during continuous operation at high conveying speed.
Each receiving element supports a respectively received conveyable-article carrier at its running roller such that it could be pivoted about the running-roller axis, with the result that the conveyable-article carrier can be aligned vertically under the action of gravitational force when the receiving element, during movement along an upward slope or during movement along a downward incline of the second conveying section, is positioned obliquely relative to the vertical, it being the case that the receiving element has a first locking notch which comes into engagement with a first locking edge of the conveyable-article carrier in order to secure the conveyable-article carrier on the receiving element during movement along an upward slope, of the second conveying section, which exceeds a predetermined slope angle. Correspondingly, it is possible to provide a second locking notch which comes into engagement with a second locking edge of the conveyable-article carrier in order to secure the conveyable-article carrier on the receiving element during movement along a downward incline, of the second conveying section, which exceeds a predetermined angle of inclination.
Further advantages, expedient details and features of the invention can be gathered from the following description of an exemplary embodiment, with reference being made to FIGS. 1-5, in which: